Cyber Mortality

Chapter 44:

"What do you mean they found the first dungeon?" a voice shouts from outside our door.

I blink awake and glance over to find Jez doing the same.

"I just got a message," another voice answers. "Vyra and her team we in the northern woods and found shrine. They had a party of twenty, but only made it a few feet in before five died."

"Died from what?"

"Traps I would assume," the man replies. "You made an inquiry so there yah go. They're trying to take the first dungeon right now."

Before Rocky can knock on our door Jez and I hop to our feet. We equip our armor and pull the door open.

"We're ready," Jez exclaims after barreling into the hallway first.

"Good," Rocky nods and runs a hand through his silver hair. "But we have no way to get there fast. I can't teleport somewhere I haven't been before."

"Can you get anywhere close?" I inquire as he pulls out a map.

He points a finger to a city in the north, probably twenty miles from the northern forest.

"I can get us there, but after that we are on foot." He replies.

"If you can get us close I might be able to speed up our trip to the forest," I purse my lips in thought. I had only done it with myself, but perhaps I could carry more than one person.

"Here," Jez reaches around her neck and unclasps a golden pendant. "This should help sustain your magical stamina. You're going to use magic, right?"

"Thanks," I nod and clasp it around my neck. "I haven't taken more than one person before, but I'll see what I can do."

"Take this too," the tavern owner holds out a satchel and Rocky puts it into his inventory. "It's medicine and food."

"Thank you," Rocky smiles and clasps the man's hand.

"Just get us out of this game," the tavern owner smiles sadly. "I've got a little girl in the real world."

"We will do what we can," Rocky replies. "Are we ready?"

"Wait," Jez glances around. "Where's Nyle?"

After waking Nyle, Rocky teleports us to the northern city. We land in a crowded square where people are abuzz with the news of the first dungeon being found.

"Can you believe it?" a woman cries out. "We could get out of here soon!"

"Don't get your hopes up too quickly. I heard several warriors have died already just trying to get into the dungeon."

"Can you do it, May?" Rocky turns his silvery green eyes on me.

"It might be easier if we found something I could use to hold us on. Like a carpet or piece of wood?" I glance around and spy a weaver selling rugs. I march up to her stand and gaze at the rugs on display. A large green one probably eight feet by six feet stands out. A swirling floral design extends toward the edges of the rug.

"Excuse me," I draw the attention of the woman.

She smiles and waits for me to ask her a question.

"How much for that rug?" I point to the green one.

"Five gold," she replies and brings it closer for me to examine.

"I'll take it," I hand her the gold.

She rolls the rug up like a scroll before handing it over to me. I carry it back toward my friends and unroll it on the ground. Plopping down onto the middle I gesture for them to join me.